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‹ Mon · 30 Mar 2026
Novel or significantly improved treatment

MVI-targeted carbon-ion radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: Phase Ib DEPARTURE trial.

A novel combination of advanced radiation and immunotherapy shows promise for hepatocellular cancer patients who have few other treatment options available.

The Phase Ib DEPARTURE trial is the first to combine carbon-ion radiotherapy targeting macrovascular invasion with immunotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, a population with very limited treatment options. This novel modality combination advances beyond conventional radiotherapy, potentially addressing a subset of HCC patients not well served by current systemic therapies.

What the study was

Study design
Phase Ib clinical trial
Population
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with macrovascular invasion (MVI)
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
JHEP Reports

Why it surfaced

First-in-class combination of carbon-ion RT + immunotherapy in MVI-positive HCC; Phase Ib human trial with safety/efficacy data; advanced HCC remains a high unmet need setting.

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